What is the Paleo Lifestyle?

At first mention, you might think of cavemen and chasing animals with primitive weapons when someone mentions the paleo lifestyle.  However, we live in a world far different than our predecessors.  Vehicles and the ever-so-convenient grocery store have taken the place of walking and gathering or hunting our own sustenance.  Yet what has not changed is the way that our bodies function.  We are still the same creatures we were hundreds of years ago regardless of the technological changes around us.
Our Ancestors Environment

In more primitive years, we lived a slower paced life where we had only a few obligations, most of which revolved around survival.  In fact, for most of the existence of mankind, this has been the case.  Survival is probably best defined in this context by t

he action of gathering food and seeking shelter.  Our ancestors’ day would have looked much like this.   Start off with waking at the rise of the sun and the stimulation of sunlight.  This would have likely been followed by a day of considering the most easily obtainable food sources with constant movement throughout the day.  The conclusion of an active day would have been at the onset of darkness.  No artificial light would have kept the primal human up.  I ask you, how many of us live this paleo lifestyle?

The Modern Human’s Day

After considering the paleo lifestyle that man lived on for numerous years, it is a wonder any of us are healthy.  Our world is much different today.  Consider your own life and habits.  Do you routinely wake up slowly and steadily as the sun rises?  Not likely.  If you do, you are among the few.  Most of us wake up to the sound of an alarm clock chirping at us that we want to slap just to get it to shut up.  And then there is nothing like starting the day off with a good rush of adrenaline from this style of waking to start you off down the wrong path.  This is already followed by a day of activity and nourishing foods, right?  Wrong!  The commute to work and grind of sitting stationary for hours on end, only to feel the stress of the fast pace of our daily lives, leaves us reaching for quick and simple food options that are far short of being a nutritious selection.  None of this screams paleo lifestyle.  So what is the paleo lifestyle you might be asking?

The Paleo Lifestyle Defined

The paleo lifestyle is the mimicking of our ancestors lifestyle of diet, activity and rest.  These are core elements to good health.  Our ancestors applied them simply as a part of their lifestyle.  Our world has changed, and now to apply this same ideology means that you have to make a conscious effort.  The effort is worth the payoff however.  Often the application of the term paleo is limited to the primal caveman diet that our predecessors consumed.  However, this is merely one aspect of the lifestyle.  The primal cavemen diet, while essential is not the only core element of good health.  A good diet with limited rest and activity does not support health.  If we truly want to live the paleo lifestyle, a proven pattern to promote health, we have to not only eat a primal caveman diet, but we also must consistently exercise and get adequate amounts of sleep at the right times.